Staffing Emergency

NATCA Declares Staffing Emergency

OAKLAND CENTER AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RADAR APPROACH CONTROLLERS DECLARE A STAFFING EMERGENCY

Air traffic controllers at both the Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center, who have seen a large rate of attrition and a rise in unsafe incidents in the skies, today have declared a staffing emergency and are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation to act immediately to stem the loss of veteran controllers.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON

There are just 130 veteran, fully trained controllers (called Certified Professional Controllers, or “CPCs” for short) left on staff working air traffic today. While the FAA lists 138, two are on military leave, five cannot work due to medical reasons and one is on personal leave. NATCA believes that 196 is the appropriate safe staffing level for this facility.

Of the 130, 30 are eligible to retire today and can leave at any time. Thus far in fiscal year 2008, there have been five retirements. Ten retired in FY07. There are 21 trainees on staff in various stages of the certification process.

OAKLAND CENTER (ZOA)

There have been 23 resignations or training failures at Oakland Center in just the past 10 months, which is indicative of the level of tension, stress and frustration at this key FAA facility. The previous one-year high for resignations at this facility was two (2).

Additionally, Oakland Center had been slated to get an additional 20 trainees this year. However, the FAA has re-designated these assignments to other facilities, leaving ZOA with no new hires.

Read the entire NATCA Press Release (January 24, 2008)

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Dallas-Fort Worth Radar Approach Controllers Declare a Staffing Emergency

Air traffic controllers at the Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Radar Approach Control (DFW TRACON), faced with a 34 percent drop in the number of fully trained and certified controllers on staff in just two years that has led to a dramatic rise in unsafe incidents, today have declared a staffing emergency and are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation to act immediately to stem the loss of veteran controllers.

In January 2006, DFW TRACON had 99 fully trained and certified controllers on staff. That number dropped to 80 by January 2007 and today the total stands at 65. Of the current total, more than one-third (23) can retire today. Half (32) will be able to retire by the end of this year. There are 14 trainees on staff. Even if all were to certify by year’s end – an impossibility – it would still put the facility woefully short of a safe staffing level.

Read the entire NATCA Press Release (January 16, 2008)

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Air Traffic Controllers Declare a Staffing Emergency in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Southern California

The nation’s air traffic controllers, faced with a 10 percent loss of their workforce in the last year, a record pace of new losses this year and worsening stress and fatigue levels that have drawn the critical eye of two major government watchdogs, are declaring a staffing emergency in four key areas of the country with some of the busiest airspace in the world: Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Southern California. A staffing emergency means that controllers do not have enough trained and experienced personnel on the ground to safely handle the volume of traffic in the air and at major airports.

NATCA is projecting that by Feb. 3 – just one-third of the way into the 2008 fiscal year – 500 controllers will have retired already, with 2,200 more controllers able to retire by year’s end. There have been 357 retirements so far since October 1, 2007, including 201 on Jan. 3 alone. Another 130 have told NATCA they intend to retire by Feb. 3 due to the lack of any incentive to stay on the job. The current trend, if it continues, will shatter the FAA’s projection of 695 retirements this fiscal year and perhaps even the record of 856 retirements set in fiscal year 2007.

Read the entire NATCA Press Release (January 10, 2008)